


Strawberries taste how lips do

by softylouis



Category: One Direction
Genre: AU, Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Haven't talked in years, I hope to write at least one smut scene I suck at it okay, M/M, lovers to strangers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-09 13:16:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7803394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softylouis/pseuds/softylouis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles haven't spoken in years.<br/>Now their childhood best friend is getting married, and they've got to spend time together. Sort of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I suck at this I am so very sorry  
> I hope not to abandon this  
> adrianna is allowed to punch me if I do
> 
> So I'm sort of writing this for my girls aka Helen (whasting) and Jaime (woahlves) and adrianna (allurelouis , aka Shrek) and the rest of my girls in the larry book club that I love v much 
> 
> If you have any constructive comments please leave them in the comments below like it means so much??? It helps improve the writing and also like if you have certain scenes you want to have in here I will most likely add them in because why not 
> 
> Tumblr is softylouis where I'll most likely post whenever I have a new chapter (with the title as a tag)

            The letter in itself hadn't come as a shock. Louis had been expecting it for a while now, was even surprised at how long it took for it to arrive to him. He'd just gotten off work, a lousy shift at a lousy pub with lousy patrons, but it payed the bills, so he smiled his way through it. Kind of. Not at all. He was known to being snappy with customers, and frankly, he was shocked he hadn't gotten fired. That may be from how he didn't mind staying late (more money), or taking care of the actual business while the owner jetted off to god knows where to shag his sugar baby of the month. He held the books, passed the orders, got the drunk patrons out and trained the occasional newbie, none of them lasting more than a few months. He was practically running the place and he may or may not dream of owning it. The boss already allowed him to stay in the flat above which was making his life as easy as it could. Niall, the other bartender that had started with Louis all those years ago, usually crashed on his couch, and paid Louis back by buying him food to stock his fridge. It was a good deal, and neither was complaining, enjoying the company.

 

            They'd hit it off right from the start. Both UNI drop-outs, Louis from a law degree in Manchester, and Niall from the university of Leeds, they made their way down to London, hoping to see what the city had to offer them. Louis' job interview had been right after Niall, running into him as he walked in, the blonde on his way out. They'd looked at each other for a minute before Niall spoke up.

 

            "Meet me at the other pub around the corner when you're done," He'd smiled and that was that. Louis went through his interview without a hitch, serving the man a perfectly poured pint, wiping everything after himself. He'd also pushed forward the fact that he was good with numbers, having managed a cafe back in Manchester while he was still in UNI. After all, the ad said barman and manager needed so. Why not both? Could be good for his bank account for sure.

 

            He shook the man's hand, who promised to get in touch within the next week, before making his way out into the fresh air, the soft glow of a late June afternoon bathing the surroundings. He had a pretty good feeling about this job, and allowed a smile to creep up on his face as he made his way to the pub down the street to meet with the blonde from earlier, sort of confused as to why the guy invited him for a pint. But hey, who was he to turn down a potential friend? He had to be realistic at this point.

 

            The pub was slightly dirtier that the one he had just had his interview at, and it made his stomach unclench a little at the thought of possibly working in a pub not infested by rats and cockroaches. He spotted the other man sat in a booth at the back, already chatting with the two birds sitting in the other one. If the blush on their cheeks was anything to go by, he was flirting with them, and it was working quite well. Louis could tell he was one of those people, to whom life just smiled at and gave them everything they needed to go through it unscathed, and just happy. He always admired that in people.

 

            He quietly slipped in the booth across from the guy and smiled as the waitress came up to them. "I'll have a pint of something light to start off," He smiled, eyeing the pint of thick molasses sat in front of the blonde. Louis wasn't a lightweight, or anything. But to start the night off with a Guinness would most definitely knock him out. He needed a slight build up to it. Gathering from the beer and the accent from earlier, Louis could tell this guy was Irish, and proud.

 

            "Hi," Louis nodded to the two girls, and decided to introduce himself to them. He figured it would be less awkward for the guy to know his name this way, than to ask, which would look weird. Maybe. Louis had no idea how to make friends anymore, and he blamed his childhood friends for that. The two of them looked at each other and smiled before turning back. "Niall was just telling us a story about when he went to a party, and ended up in the police station playing cards with the guards," One of them giggled and good. That settled the issue of finding out the bloke's name.

 

            "It wasn't really that bad really. I got bailed out after like, two hours in there," Niall dismissed, even though you could tell by the smirk on his face he was enjoying every little bit of attention he was getting.

 

            They spoke with the two girls for a while, moving into their booth to be more comfortable, until they excused themselves. They apparently had an early shift at the hospital in the morning, and had to get some rest, but not before they wrote down their names and respective numbers on little square napkins, sliding them over to each of the boys. Louis stood as they got out of the booth, and kissed their cheeks before slipping into the seat opposite from Niall. "Think you might want to keep both of those. I don't exactly swing that way," he informed in a nonchalant kind of way, but truly he was on the edge of his seat, waiting for Niall's reaction.

 

            "Aces, thanks mate! More for me," He grinned like an actual child and set off to genuinely enter the numbers in his phone. "Okay now, I don't think I have formally introduced myself, and my mum would probably have spanked me if she knew how impolite I was being, but mate that bird was fit," He shrugged and took a sip of his thick beer before holding out his hand. "Name's Niall, from Ireland, in London for an undetermined length of time. Probably until I get bored. How 'bout you?"

 

            Louis felt a weight get lifted off his shoulder as the other lad completely dismissed the fact that Louis didn't like girls, whatsoever. He never hid it, never had a big freak out or coming out, he was just himself. Louis. But being here in a big city with literally no one to rely on or to turn to, he was a bit terrified. "I'm Louis, from Doncaster up north, off Manchester where I was for a bit before coming down here. Got to London maybe like, a week or two ago. Crashing at an RB&B, kind of getting tight on money though. That's why I went for the job at the other pub," He explained and reached out to hold on to his pint, needing something to do with his hands. "Dropped out of UNI and wanted to do something for myself, away from everyone else. Like a fresh start, I guess?" He shrugged. "Either way. I kind of really need that job to work out."

 

            "Me too, mate. Me too," Niall had agreed and they'd drank to it, before ordering a round of shots. Louis wasn't planning on getting plastered, but a soft buzz would be nice. The rest of the night passed in a blur, and when Louis woke up in the same bed as Niall, the blonde strewn over him and breathing loudly into his ear, he knew he found a great friend.

 

 

            He'd been in London for five years now, the both of them landing the jobs as bartender and Louis with the addition of manager. Five years of servings pints and shots, with a side of nachos and fish and chips. Five years of drinking nearly every night, bare the few rare days he got off. He loved his life, he really did.  He knew he could have gone off to do bigger, better things, become a lawyer and gotten a job at his dad's firm, basically assuring him a financially secure life. The white picket fence life he used to dream of.

 

            But as he slipped into his flat, surprisingly empty of Niall who had gone home to sleep, for once, he was thankful he'd thrown it all away. The whole idea of a white picket fence life made him want to retch. He'd long realized that he wanted none of it, not truly. He'd been conditioned to aspire to it by his parents for his whole life, up until he went to UNI and realized there was more to live than what he thought. He didn't want to get married and have three well-behaved kids, his parents did. He didn't want to have a trophy husband to come home to, a spotless house and a home-cooked meal waiting in the stove, enveloping the whole house in the comforting smell. He never wanted a large colonial home with an even larger backyard for the kids and the dogs to run around in. He didn't even bloody like dogs.

 

            He wasn't mad at his parents. Well, not anymore. He used to resent them for it, but as time passed, he realized what every child eventually realizes: they're just doing what they can, and what they honestly believe is best for their children. The only thing they did wrong was never to listen to what the kids actually wanted. His sisters had turned out great, and Louis was thanking the heavens none of them had turned like him, at least not yet. Lottie and Fizzy, the eldest sisters, were off to UNI in Manchester, while the twins were in secondary school, and getting pretty good grades from when Louis last heard. The youngest set of twins were in primary school now, and it made Louis' heart melt every time one of his sisters sent him a picture of them in their little uniforms with their big back packs, almost bigger than them.

 

            Even though he wasn't mad at them, they were still obviously upset with him for trying to find his own way. Also known as quitting school after two years of draining law school, leaving Louis to feel like he was eighty years old instead of twenty. They weren't too happy to find out he'd packed his bags and left the school before they were set to come pick him up after the end of term (because even if he was a quitter, he wasn't going to leave before doing his exams; he had studied and gone to all his classes and he wasn't going to fail out). He'd left his mother a voicemail, calling her coincidentally at the time where she was doing her daily workout routine in the home gym with the trainer, her phone left upstairs on her vanity, like it had been for as far as Louis could think back. Told them not to bother driving out to Manchester, that he was headed down to London, for good.

 

            His father had laughed, claiming loudly that Louis wouldn't last a week in the city. He said to whoever would listen that Louis would come crawling back, asking for forgiveness and money. If there was one thing Louis loved more than anything, it was proving people wrong. So in the five years he had been in London, he hadn't gone home once. His mother had visited him at times, so had his sisters, but never his father. The man refused to see his son, even when he was in London for business; he'd talk to his son when he'd come to his senses. Louis had to learn not to take it too personal: his father hated being wrong, and he was prideful. Unfortunately, so was Louis. The worst part was, Louis was doing great for himself. He managed to save a lot of money from working at the bar and living above it, the rent about a quarter of what it could be, now that Louis had renovated most of it.

 

            The place was in shambles when Louis first got the keys to the top floor. It smelled rank, and he found out half the windows weren't working. The shower had little to no water pressure, and the sink had more mould than Louis had ever laid eyes on. He and Niall were dead on their feet by the end of the day, but they knew where to go from there. They flipped the whole place, Louis crashing with Niall until the bedroom and bathroom were functional. They pulled the carpets off, revealing hardwood flooring underneath. Louis spent hours on his knees, wiping and polishing the floors, returning them to their former glory. They re-did the whole kitchen, Charles, the owner of the building and the pub, agreeing to pay the minimum for them to do something decent with the place. Louis sold him on the renting value once he moved out (obviously he wasn't going to flip the whole place only for the man to raise his rent; Louis was running his bar at the same time too). The man paid for the specialists, like the plumber and electrician, stuff neither he nor Niall had any clue how to go about. But the rest, all the cleaning and the painting and the building, they did themselves.

 

            They had the most fun going to different second hand shops, finding the most amazing pieces of furniture at a fraction of their original price. Where some saw rings of coffee stained on a wooden table, Louis saw a story, a previous life to the furniture, and he was giving it a second chance like London had done to him. Call him sentimental. In the end, he was really proud of what he and Niall had managed to do with the place, really make it a home for Louis. He wouldn't trade it with anything.

 

            He was knackered from his shift as he trudged up the stairs to the place, unlocking the door at the top of the stairs before pushing it open and making his way inside. He was fairly good at keeping it tidy, especially with Niall being around more often than not, so he wasn't surprised as he spotted the empty take away containers on his coffee table, and the mountain of mugs in the sink that needed a good scrubbing as soon as possible, because he was almost out. Niall had stopped by earlier, and had informed Louis about taking his mail upstairs with him, so he grabbed the pile lying down in the middle of the small kitchen table and started flicking through the uninterested. Bills, commercials, crap, crap, crap... Oh. Not such crap.

 

            It was beautiful, and Louis had no doubt over who designed it. It screamed their names, quite literally. Right there, at the top of a thick off-white paper, it read:

 

_Liam Payne and Sophia Smith_

_cordially invite you to attend their wedding,_

_which will be held in Doncaster at the local church,_

_and the reception at the Payne's property,_

_on Saturday the 20th of August, 2016_

_Please RSVP as soon as possible._

 

 

            And on the back of the invite, a scribble Louis knew to be from Liam himself:

 

            _You better be there, wanker._

            Alright then. That settled it. He was surprised it took them this long to finally get hitched, having been together since they were fifteen years old in secondary school, sneaking around to make out behind the gym, asking Louis to cover for them.

 

            Louis just had enough time to drop the invite down on the counter before he had a ball of fluff on his shoulder, purring and cuddling into him. He kissed the cat's fur gently before setting him down, reaching into the fridge to grab his food and give him some. He'd gotten him at a rescue shelter a few blocks down, as Niall was looking for a pet of his own. He just laid eyes on him and knew they were meant to be. Four years later, they still get on like a house of fire, so Louis calls that a victory.

 

            He tidied up the place quickly, throwing away the empty containers and everything else he could before he couldn't stand anymore, and stumbled his way to his bedroom. He had set the bed in a way that the light wouldn't exactly wake him up in the morning, the sun hitting from the side of the window. He'd also settled a bed for Waffles right in the light, and it soon became the feline's favourite spot to lounge in all day long, up until the sun wasn't hitting the bed. Then he moved on to the window sill in the living room where Louis used to have plants, but the cat kept knocking them down. He was making it clear that was his spot, so Louis had to find new spots for his plants around the flat.

 

            He stripped down to his briefs, and managed to make it to the bathroom to brush his teeth before he was in his bed, snoring the night away.

 

 

            He was woken up the next day by Niall walking in and shaking - more like kicking- his bed to wake him. He groaned and turned over, pulling the blanket over his head and trying to tune the blonde out as he spoke about his day like he wasn't ruining Louis'.  "Alright so then I told her she was being crazy, ya know? I wasn't doing anything! I was literally sat with her on a date and the waitress walked by, and what the hell am I supposed to do? That restaurant she picked is a tight fit and I honestly felt like I was being attacked from all sides whenever someone walked by. Of course I was gonna check who it was!"

 

            Louis took a deep breath and exhaled before turning to look at Niall with a raised eyebrow, because what the hell was he talking about?

 

            "I went on a date with the red head from the club last weekend, I told you four times. Anyway, she kept talking about herself, and what she loves, and what she doesn't love, and I swear mate I nearly pulled me hair out," He snorted and Louis allowed a small smile to creep onto his lips as he straightened up, stretching his back. Waffles was asleep in his basket, and the sun was nearly at its apex. "She sounds like a right pain in the ass. Don't call her back," He yawned and reached out to get the mug of tea from Niall's hands, taking a sip.

 

            "I wasn't planning on it either, Jesus. Crazy much? It's not like we're in a relationship or anything ya know? And I wouldn't get in a relationship with a girl that goes ballistic every time my eyes land on another girl. That's just stupid," He rolled his eyes and patted Louis' thigh. "Come on, up and at it. I did the dishes, you can thank me in the form of a blowjob later," He smirked and got to his feet, taking the tea back.

 

            "Or I can do it nooooow," Louis wiggled his eyebrows, failing miserably at looking suggestive and landing them both in fits of laughter. "Alright alright," he breathed out after a while and pushed the blanket off himself, wincing a bit at the cold under his feet as he stood. "I'm gonna go have a shower, and breakfast better be ready for when I get out, plus a mug of tea," He called out to his best mate before closing the door and stepping under the warm stream. He let it roll off him for a bit before he actually got started on showering, doing his hair first before lathering his body in soap to wash off any gross residue from the previous night at the bar. It took two thorough washes before he deemed himself ready to go, and turned the water off. He wrapped a towel around his waist and ran a hand through his hair, opening the door slowly to tip toe his way to the dresser and pull on a pair of clean briefs. He couldn't decide on what to wear, and could smell the toast from the kitchen, so he decided to get dressed after he got some food in his stomach.

 

            He grabbed the mug of tea Niall had set out for him before grabbing the iPad, opening one of the news app he had to see what was happening in the world while Niall flipped eggs in the pan. He was engrossed in an oil controversy article when Niall flicked his ear on his way to sit on the other side of the table.

 

            "We talked about violence, Niall. Keep it in the bedroom, where it's consensual and kinky," Louis deadpanned and reached out for one of the buttered toasts, shoving some eggs on it before bringing it to his mouth. "This is good," He added around a mouthful, earning a disgusted stare from Niall. He was about to say something when Niall picked up the invite Louis had opened the previous night and oh. Right. That.

 

            "Who's Liam?" His mate asked and Louis felt his cheeks grow hotter. "And why is he inviting you to his wedding? Which is in two months?" Niall continued, looking at Louis expectantly as he checked out the invite, whistling at how fancy it felt.

 

            "Liam's an old mate from like, diapers. He's finally popped the question to his girlfriend of... ten years now, I think? Yeah. Ten years. Was about time he did, I was getting pretty desperate for her. For a while, I thought the sane explanation would be that they got married and just didn't invite me," He laughed weakly, trying to diffuse the tension he was feeling from Niall's eyes.

 

            He hadn't exactly told the blonde everything about his past. Actually, he'd told him just about nothing from before moving to London: just said he needed a fresh start, and Niall seemed content with letting it go as long as keeping it in didn't affect Louis in a bad way.

 

            "And you never thought of mentioning him to me? Like, ever? Are you going to the wedding?" Niall pressed and Louis groaned, feeling a headache growing from all the questions. "Would you stop? I just. I had nothing to say about them, is all. It's in the past you know? But yeah I'm going to the wedding. Just don't fancy doing it alone," He shrugged. "You could come with. Actually meet them. Pretend I told you about them so I don't seem like too much of an arse," He chuckled lightly and sipped some tea, glancing over to the bedroom door, Waffles coming out slowly but surely, climbing up on his lap to rest while Louis finished to eat. He scratched him behind the ears before looking back up at Niall.

 

            "Okay yeah, I'll go with you. I love weddings. Is there gonna be an open bar? that we don't actually have to tend?" He smirked and louis rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's awesome innit? I'm gonna give the girls some extra shifts for the week of the wedding. I'm guessing there are going to be a bunch of stupid events we have to attend that lead up to it," He mumbled around a new mouthful of toast before swallowing, washing it down with a sip of tea. "Do we have anything planned today or did you just wake me up to be a dick?" He asked as he glanced back down at his iPad, flicking through the different articles without really paying any of them attention, listening to Niall.

 

            "Yeah we have a meeting for the new Vodka provider, in about fifteen minutes. Also, we apparently need to go shopping for suits, so we can go to Harrods and then have them tailored," Niall pulled his phone out to check the list he made every single day, without a miss. "We need to go to the bank for the deposit. Also, there's the guy coming in for the oven, though on my way up I made sure that Max was gonna be down in the kitchen, so that we don't have to," He rattled off, and Louis gave himself a mental pat on the back for picking Niall as an assistant manager. Of course, he had tried not to play favourites. Tried to really consider everyone that had applied for the job, but in the end only Niall made sense. He was organised yet not stuck up, had a crazy memory (the guy could remember anyone's name, even people they hadn't seen in years), and was Louis' personal ray of sunshine, therefore spending every day with him was a blessing in disguise.

 

            "Alright alright," Louis cut him off and got to his feet, sending the cat down on the floor and bringing his plate to the sink to wash it quickly. "I'm gonna go get dressed," He announced after putting the plate away and heading to his bedroom, Niall being too engrossed in whatever game he was playing on Louis' iPad to even care.

 

            Louis settled on a pair of black shorts, thanking the heavens for the nice day they were getting, and picked out a print shirt to go on top. His shoes were waiting for him at the front door, where he had gotten rid of them last night after his shift. He checked his hair in the bathroom mirror, and ran his fingers through it a few times before giving up. He was going to need to cut it for the wedding, but until then he was going to enjoy every single inch of them.

 

            "I am ready to go," Louis announced as he walked out of the bedroom, going straight to the kitchen to down the remains of his tea and wash the cup. "You know, I was thinking about going to see that festival happening up the river, by Harrods, while we're at it. It's a food festival too," He told Niall as they made their way down to the pub. "We can grab lunch there, hit Harrods, and then come back in time for your shift," He added and pushed the door open to the kitchen to go greet the staff.

 

            The rest of the day went by in a blur, the meeting with the Vodka provider flashing by, and then before he knew what was happening they were in an Uber on their way to Harrods. They decided to get matching suits because, why not? They looked good, and were quite happy with the final price, including alterations.

 

            They got back to the bar in time for Niall to start his shift behind the bar right away, greeting the usual customers and going about his rounds. Louis went around to make sure everyone was good before disappearing into the office in the back.

 

            He had a bunch of work to do: schedules to make, books to fill, orders to get through, and yet he couldn't stop himself from grabbing his phone and flicking down his contacts until his thumb landed on Liam's name. He took a deep breath, and threw a quick glance at the door to make sure it was closed before pressing call.

 

            He was on the verge of biting his thumb off when the obvious sound of someone picking up was heard.

 

            "Hello?" He heard, and his heart leapt in his chest.

 

            "Hey mate. It's Louis. Hope I'm not bothering you," He said quietly, leaning back into his seat. "I got the invite to the wedding last night. Congrats, was about time," He chuckled, albeit a bit awkwardly because this was Liam. One of his best mates, to whom he hadn't talked to in over five years.

 

            "Oh shit, hey. It's good to hear from you. You're not bothering, never," Liam said quickly and Louis could tell he was straightening some things up to focus on the conversation.

 

            "I just wanted to let you know I'm gonna be there, yeah? Not gonna flake out on the one thing I have been looking forward to my whole life," He laughed a bit lighter now.

 

            "You are? That's amazing! I'm really happy to hear that, Soph is gonna be so excited too. You can stay at my house, obviously, but I'm guessing you're gonna be going to your parents'?" Liam asked and Louis could feel the tension leaving his body, slowly but surely. This was Liam. They were practically brothers. Were raised together, best mates until the age of 20, and Louis was at fault for putting a stop to it. But not an end. Just a pause.

 

            "Yeah, not going to be able to get out of spending some time at my parents'. Also I just wanted to know if it was fine if I brought a plus one?" He asked, and he knew he should specify. He knew he should explicitly say that Niall was just his best mate, but the words just didn't come out. Couldn't.

 

            "Oh, oh! Yes, absolutely! Sounds amazing! I can't wait to meet him. Or her, whatever. Can't wait to see you, honestly. Five years is way too long to go without talking, Louis. We're having a sleepover when you get here to make up for that. Your plus one can join us, definitely, too," He added as an afterthought. "It was great talking to you, mate, really, and as much as I would love to spend hours catching up, we can leave that to when you get here yeah? For now, though, Sophia has left to go for her dress fitting and then dinner with her friends, and I'm home alone with two two years old. More like tornadoes," He laughed and Louis suddenly felt sick. Kids. Liam had kids, and Louis had no idea.

 

            "Alright, yeah," He managed to let out a small laugh he hoped didn't sound as nervous as it felt, "I'll see you for the wedding. We'll come up for about a week total, if that's good. I'll let you go back to your fatherhood duties," He continued, prompting a grunt from Liam.

 

            "They're evil. Never have kids, Louis," Liam said, and his tone is dead ass serious, but Louis knows better. Liam was the exact opposite of Louis: he actually wanted the white picket fence life, with the many kids and big garden and dogs. He was getting everything he ever wanted, and Louis couldn't be happier for him, truly. But realizing how much he had actually missed was like a punch to the gut, and he could tell he wasn't done feeling like that.

 

            They bid each other goodbye and hung up, Louis staring at his phone for a few moments before he shook himself out of his trance. He couldn't do anything about what he'd missed, or what he didn't know. But he could do something about the pile of work on his desk, so he focused his attention on that, until he couldn't see anything anymore, his eyes hurting from looking at paper for so long without any distraction. He went for a quick round in the bar, checking up on the patrons and the crew before going to the bar to get a pint from Niall, chatting with some of the men already sat there. They spoke mainly of football, bits and bobs of politics and economy here and there.

 

            He went back to the office after his pint, needing to get the work done so he could sleep in in the morning. He was pulled out of his trance by Niall, the blonde knocking on the door and poking his head through. "Whole place is shut down. Let's go to sleep," He clapped his hands together and Louis groaned, getting to his feet and whining lowly as his joints popped. He stumbled his way through the pub with half closed eyelids, unlocking the door to his flat. They tumbled inside and stripped down to their briefs, brushing their teeth quickly before climbing into Louis' bed.

 

            "I called Liam, to let him know I'm gonna be there. He's okay with me bringing a plus one. I kind of didn't say you were just a mate. I think he thinks I'm bringing a boyfriend," Louis yawned, and Niall hummed, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him close.

 

            "That ought to be interesting," He mumbled before they both fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

            The first thing Louis heard in the morning was Niall's absolutely annoying voice ringing in his ear, checking things off a list he was probably holding up in his hand as he walked around the bedroom. "Wake up darling. We got to get on the road sooner rather than later," the other man finally addressed him directly, shaking the bed. Louis wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep for a couple of years and just never move again.

 

            "I loaded your bags into my car, and I hung the suits in the back too so they won't get wrinkled. I stopped by the bar to make sure everyone was good and knew what they have to do for the week," He added and pulled the blankets off Louis. "If you would just get out of bed and in the shower we'll be on the road in less than a half hour, and in time for lunch with your mum."

 

            "I don't wanna get up," Louis whined and turned over, reaching out for Waffles and pulling him tight against his chest to cuddle. He groaned as the cat wriggled his way out, clearly not in the mood for Louis to touch him. "Insensitive twat," He mumbled and rubbed a hand over his face to wipe away the sleep.

 

            He took his time waking up, setting one foot after the other down onto the cold hardwood flooring, making a mental note to get a warm, fluffy carpet to set down beside his bed with a pair of equally warm and fluffy slippers to envelop his feet whenever he deemed it necessary to get out of bed. The sun was coming up slowly, barely hitting Waffles' spot, but the cat had somehow already found his way over and curled up for his morning nap before feeding time.

 

            Louis had gotten two of the girls from the pub to come up and feed the cat every morning and night as well as empty the litter, so that Louis wouldn't come up to a rank-smelling apartment and shit all over the place, as well as scratched up furniture. Waffles could be... delicate to handle. Definitely. One of them would come up in the morning to feed him and empty the litter and cuddle him for a little while, and the other girl was to do the same at night. Pretty easy, yet it left an uneasy feeling in Louis' stomach.

 

            He tried not to focus too much on that and instead made his way into the bathroom to shower. He took his time, shampooing his hair thoroughly and even conditioning it, leaving the product in his hair as he foamed up some shower gel on a loofa and scrubbed every inch of his body. He rinsed the products off himself and stepped out into the cold air, wrapping a fluffy towel around his waist and reaching into his toiletry bag for the mousse he usually puts in his hair. He squirted some in his right hand, shoving the bottle back into the bag, and ran his hands through his hair to distribute it evenly. Next he brushed his teeth, spitting the paste into the sink, washing it away and slipping the tube and brush into the toiletry bag, zipping it shut and bringing it with him back to the bedroom.

 

            He had to decide what to wear from his wardrobe, meaning all of his favourite clothes he'd normally wear were already packed in his bag in the car. So he had to pick something out of his less favourite clothes to wear for the three hours ride they had ahead. After a few minutes of just mindlessly flicking through the clothes, not even looking at them properly, his mind elsewhere, he shook himself out of his trance and picked out a white shirt and a pair of black jeans. The pants had a few extra holes that weren't there when he bought them, but they were comfy and worn in, meaning he could easily curl up on the seat without feeling restricted. And the shirt was old, as in he could remember buying it back in his last year of secondary school. It still fit (It had been stretched out and well-loved), so he slipped the garments on, snatching a pair of socks from his drawer and tugging them on, sitting on the edge of his bed. He leaned forward and shoved his face in his hands, elbows on his knees as he focused on getting his breathing as regulated as possible. He could feel the anxiety coming up, and right before a three hours’ car ride wasn't the best timing.

 

            Niall barged in at that moment, looking at Louis expectantly. "Come on, Tomlinson. This isn't the time for an existential crisis. We have lunch with Jay," He prompted and Louis let out a shaky laugh, standing up and grabbing his bag of toiletries. "Alright, my tea better be ready mate, I'm not going to handle three hours with you without at least a hot mug of tea," He smiled and walked past the blonde, straight into the kitchen where a steaming mug of tea was sat. He grinned and picked it up, bringing it to his lips for a small sip. "I love you," He informed the other man while grabbing an apple off the counter, biting into it.

 

            "Good, I love you too, now chop chop, Tommo. No one fancies being late to lunch with your mother because she is bloody terrifying," Niall clapped his hands, making his way toward the threshold. Louis took one last look around his flat, making sure everything was in order and mostly, making sure he wasn't forgetting anything before following Niall's lead.

 

            The weather was nice. It wasn't too hot, but just enough that Louis was glad he was only wearing a shirt. The sun was shining with a few scattered clouds here and there, just enough to provide shade at random times and making sure no one over heated. Days like this he usually loved spending at the park (when he wasn't working), people watching.

 

            He loved people watching. He could sit for hours at a cafe, or the park, or even the pub, and watch people, making up stories for them in their minds. Giving them crazy backstories, as well as sad ones, depending on his (or their) mood.

 

            The blonde girl walking fast on the sidewalk, sunglasses perched atop her head as she squinted at her phone, bright fuchsia headphones plugged into the device, was on her way to class after waking up late. She had he satchel strapped across her chest and flopping around against the small of her back. She was the kind of person who looked put together even when they were making no effort at all, hair tied into a messy bun the same way Lottie wore hers most of the time. She was most likely texting her best friend, telling her about the night before that she'd spent at her boyfriend's place, telling her all about how perfect things were and how in love she was. They'd been together since secondary school, childhood best friends. Loving each other from the start but waiting before they acted on it, making everything so perfect and so fucking great.

 

            _'if only she knew,'_ Louis thought as he slid into Niall's old beat up 2003 Honda Civic, still in a surprisingly good state, considering who she belonged to. Louis had decided long ago not to get a car in the city, for the simple fact that he hated driving in the city and it would be a waste of his hard-earned money that he much rather spend on beer, weed and spoiling Waffles rotten. He curled up on the seat right away, sitting crossed legs on it and buckling up. Niall was going around the car, and Louis took the opportunity to plug his own phone into the aux cord before the Irish boy could protest. He settled on a nice playlist for the beginning of their road trip, figuring he could change along the way if they were feeling something else.

 

            He watched Niall get into the car and start the engine, leaning his head back and cradling his mug of tea as they pulled onto the street and started driving. They spoke quietly for about an hour, chatting about the pub and some of their other friends and what they had been up to in the past couple days, which mostly consisted of Niall catching Louis up. He had been holed up in the pub for the past couple of days, having to get everything ready so that the pub wouldn't crumble without them around.

 

            "So Sarah told him she'd do it if he paid for her and everything, and next thing I know I'm taking her to the airport because that guy's actually bought her a train ticket to Paris. Can you believe that? She's bloody crazy as far as I'm concerned," Niall snorted and took one of the exits to go get some gas an hour and a half later.

 

            "I mean, you would have done it too if you were really into the girl," Louis reasoned as they came to a stop next to a pump. He slowly disentangled his feet and set them down, wincing at the needles pinching into his muscles. He really shouldn't stay seated in the exact same position for so long, but he was comfy. He unbuckled and grabbed his wallet from the back seat, slipping out of the car. "Coffee or tea?" He asked Niall as he stretched and leaned against the hood of the car, head in his hand.

           

            "Coffee," Niall replied as he slipped his card into the reader. "And I would not have done that. I would have gone and seen her myself, not have her travel when it could be dangerous and she could get hurt. Again, if I were really into her only." He shook his head. "What about you? Would you do either for another bloke?" he asked as he punched his pin in the machine.

 

            "Depends how hot the guy is. I'd do it for a Beckham looking one. But otherwise, not really." He snorted and straightened up, walking toward the station. "I'd do it for you!" He called back playfully, and laughed as Niall let out a loud whoop, stepping into the cool air of the station. He nodded to the cashier as he walked to the counter to make Niall a coffee, and a tea for himself. He let the bag of herbs stew as he walked around, spotting some pastries in a display.

 

            "Hey, sorry, could I get two chocolate croissants please?" He asked the cashier and watched her carefully place the soft pastries into bags. He threw the tea bag out in the bin after letting it sit for a few minutes and paid for the food. "Thanks, have a good one," He nodded to her and had to bite back a laugh as she batted her eyelashes at him, wishing him a good day too. She couldn't have been a day older that Lottie, and that was pretty much where he drew the line, refusing to go out with anyone that was younger than his oldest sister. Also, she was a girl which wasn't exactly a trait Louis was looking for in someone to spend the rest of his life with.

 

            "I think the girl inside was hitting on me," He said as he got into the car and handed Niall his coffee, and one of the pastries. "Something to help us not die on our way to lunch with my mum," He added and took a bite out of his own, closing his eyes and moaning at the taste.

 

            "She probably was, have you seen yourself? You're a good catch and you've got a big ass." Niall shrugged and turned the engine on, letting out a small sigh of relief as he took a look at the gas indicator, the needle at the F. Louis could definitely relate to that. They pulled back onto the road, and Louis changed to a different playlist before clearing his throat.

 

            "Okay so hum. I figured I ought to give you like. A run-down on what we're about to walk into," He said quietly and took a sip of his tea. He glanced out the window, suddenly wishing he could just disappear and never come back and never have to get through any of this, starting from the conversation he's about to have up until the wedding.

 

            "Okay? I mean, I don't think it's gonna be that bad. Is it?" Niall asked curiously, not taking his eyes off the road as he picked up his coffee.

 

            "It shouldn't be. Just hum. I never even told you about Liam, for fuck's sake. He was my best mate from diapers and you didn't know of him until two months ago and I just, kind of thought I could keep both lives separate. Not because I'm ashamed of either, or anything like that. Just didn't want to rehash previous issues." He shrugged and settled his feet on the dash in front of him, picking quietly at one of the thread on his knee.

 

            "So hum. Well first off on the phone with Liam, after I got the invite, I asked if a friend could come and he kind of, sort of assumed my friend was a boyfriend and I didn't correct him. So he thinks you and I are dating. I know I should have told him we were just friends, but that brings me to the second point," He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 

            "Harry Styles," He exhaled.

 

            It's like there's a weight lifted off his shoulders as he says the name out loud, like he's not being crushed to the ground by a force he'd forgotten was there. A pressure so constant, always present for the past five years, from the moment he got on the train to London, up until this very second. Something he had learned to live with, like an old wound refusing to close, just becoming numb. But while he feels lighter, his chest starts tightening up because, fuck. _Harry._ The one person he had made sure not to think of, not to reminisce on. He was doing the one thing he always swore he'd never do.

 

            Niall, bless his heart, doesn't utter a single word as Louis' mind goes into a whirlwind of memories and regret and sorrow and pure, simple sadness. He just hums along to the music, like he knows exactly what Louis need: to talk about it on his own time, not rushing it. Because he wants to find the right words. How does one do that? Find the right words to describe the best and worst part of their life?

 

            "Harry was with us the whole time. From the very beginning to the moment I left Manchester for London," Louis said slowly, toying with his cup of tea, flicking the lid with his thumb's fingernail. "We were inseparable, the three of us. Quite literally; we were attached at the hips for all of our childhood. Ask my mum, if you want. She'll tell you how insufferable we were," Louis smiled softly as he thought back on the good times they had, all the great memories they'd made and shared to this day.

 

            "Harry and I were different, together. With Liam, it was like brothers. He was my brother and we were the best of friends. But Harry... I don't even know how to explain it. We just _knew_ what the other was thinking without having to say anything. He knew me better than I knew myself, and I knew him better than anyone in the world. Liam was good, putting up with us, because sometimes we'd get in those moods and just be absolute pests to everyone around us, teaming up together, yet he just stepped aside and let us do our thing. Probably because we knew better than to make him the ultimate butt of the joke. We were idiots, not assholes," He chuckled and took a sip from his drink.

 

            "Any way. As we grew older I just... I found myself still wanting to hold his hand. All the bloody time. We always shared a bed whenever we slept over at each other's and I realized I slept so, so much better with him there. Like I was at peace.

 

            "It was all so natural, the hand holding, and the cuddling, and the small kisses here and there... We didn't realize what was going on until well into it, at a dinner with my extended family, and he was there, obviously. We had spent most of the evening in the living room after the meal, the two of us curled up against one another on a couch. My aunt asked how long we'd been together, and we both looked at her for such a long time, it was comical," He snorted. "Just unable to answer because our brains were running a thousand miles an hour, following her train of thought. I was frozen into place, and Harry spoke out.

 

            "He phrased it so simply, I still can't comprehend how he managed to explain our whole relationship in so little words. He said, ' _It just kinda happened'_. That's it. _It just kinda happened_. We just kinda happened," He took a deep breath. "I could only nod, and it didn't take us long before we got excused for the night, claiming to be exhausted, which was false because we had spent the entire morning in bed getting high and watching friends. We just wanted to be alone," He added softly and looked down at his lap, at his hands that were shaking slightly.

 

            "He pinned me against the wall and just... He kissed me. Not in any way he ever had before. We used to share small pecks, had our fair share of drunk, messy make out sessions. But that time, fuck. Niall I sure as hell hope you get to feel that one day because it's debilitating. It's been over ten years, seeing as we were fourteen, and yet I just... I still get that feeling in the pit of my stomach. My knees get weak just thinking about him. Just thinking about the way he felt against me and how much love I felt for him," Louis could feel a stray tear roll down his cheek but ignored it, knowing that raising his hand to wipe it away would only give him away to Niall, whose attention was solely on the road, or at least he pretended it to be, eyes fixated ahead.

 

 

            "Any way. We were together from then on, until I moved to London. Literally, that very day. I did a really, really shitty thing and the chances of him hating me are very, very high," he admitted and reached into the backseat, grabbing his bag and searching through it before his hand found his pack and lighter. He needed a smoke, right now. He brought one to his lips, settling it there before flicking on the flame and lighting the tip of it. He inhaled deeply, rolling down the window to blow the smoke out and get most of the smell out of the car.

 

            "So he's going to be there; I just know it. Our dads are partners in a firm, meaning all three families are going to be present, including him. Which brings me back to my first point, with Liam assuming you and I are together..." He trailed off and glanced over at Niall to see how he was reacting to all of it. He didn't seem disgusted or annoyed, so Louis took it as a good sign.

 

            "I was wondering if you would be willing to pretend that we're together? So that I don't look like the absolute loser that I actually am. They're all fucking lawyers and shit, and I'm managing a pub that isn't even mine. I love my life, and what I've done for myself, and everything, don't get me wrong. But bending the truth a little bit can't hurt, right?" he asked hopefully as he keeps a watchful eye on Niall.

 

            He sees the other boy lick his lips, clearly thinking over everything Harry has just spilled out, and it's so little, doesn't even begin to cover up the mess Louis' dragging them into, but it's all he can lay out for the time being. Maybe, probably, ever. He's shocked he's never spilled the beans when royally pissed off his ass, drunk to the point of no return.

 

            "Alright. Sure, why the hell not?" Niall finally declares and Louis lets out a sigh of relief.

 

            "Thank you, so much. I'll pay for all of your expenses and drinks all week," He promised and leaned over to kiss his cheek soundly. "I think we ought to agree on a backstory. We need to stick as close to the truth as possible so hum. We got together maybe like, three years in? So that means we've been dating for approximately two years, and we do not live together because we want to take things slow. Sounds about right? And we never told my family because of that. Also, for the love of god, don't make up some weird sex stories to tell my friends because Harry will know they're fake. Like, right off the bat. So we just wanna stay private and keep it to ourselves, thanks," He rattled off.

 

            "Okay, okay. Relax, Louis. It's gonna be fine," Niall assured and reached out to pat his hand gently. "We pretty much act like a couple already without all the kissing crap. So we can just not kiss and say it's 'cause we don't like PDA," and yeah that was a good idea because of course Louis thought Niall was cute, and looked good. He was his best friend after. But to the point of kissing? Eh. Louis didn't want that.

 

            "Perfect," He nodded decidedly and took another sip of his tea, wincing as he realized it'd gotten lukewarm at best. He set the brightly coloured travel cup down into the holder and reached for his phone to pick another song to play. "Thanks for going along with all of it. I know it sounds stupid and childish but... Yeah," He mumbled.

 

            "Don't worry about it, babe. I'd do anything for you," Niall grinned mischievously and grabbed one of Louis' hands, lacing their fingers together. "You're the love of my life, and I would die for you."

 

            Louis couldn't help himself as he burst out laughing, head thrown back against the rest and chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "You little shit," He croaked out as his laugh died down, a single tear running down his cheek. "One day you're gonna kill me. If you do, can you please throw my body in a ditch and drive away?" He chuckled, and Niall nodded solemnly.

 

            "Like I said, I'd do anything for you," he winked and Louis squeezed his hand, turning his head to look out of the window, watching the scenery go by in a flash as they drove.

 

 

 

            Louis blinked his eyes open and frowned as he realized the car had stopped moving, and they were parked in front of an old red brick building, Niall shaking his shoulder gently. He stifled a yawn, stretching his arms in front of himself before turning to look at his friend. "Where are we?" he asked before clearing his throat.

 

            "Brunch with your mum, remember?" Niall informed and reached into the backseat to get his phone and wallet. "Alright come on sleeping beauty, time to see if we're good actors and can actually pull off pretending to be shagging," He said and Louis winced at the nonchalant tone. "You make it sound so bad. You're making me a favour, let's keep it at that alright?" the brunette groaned and slipped out of the car, sighing as he stretched his legs.  Niall came around and offered his hand to Louis, who took it in his and laced their fingers together. "Let's go into the lions' den. I apologize in advance for the mess I'm dragging us into," he led the way to the front door and opened it for Niall, letting him through before following him inside.

 

            This was his mother's favourite restaurant for brunch, for as long as Louis could remember. Every Sunday, they had to dress to the nines (meaning, a fashion show for his sisters and ugly ties for himself) and they would drive down here in their father's fancy car. A minivan wasn't good for the Tomlinson's. They needed to most expensive, ridiculous car to fit all of them. Louis always hated those.

 

            The place itself was quaint, a few tables strewn all over the main dining area, spaced apart enough so that you wouldn't hear other conversations (unless they were speaking loudly). The floors were a dark cherry hardwood, and the walls a nice cream. Paintings were hung on every wall, most of them originals that had been bought from the nearest Abbey and restored, the history of the region written on the walls - literally.  

 

            The tables were all set in a similar fashion, white tablecloths and sliver cutlery set in the proper etiquette, one that Louis had learned at the prime age of three. Glasses of wine, champagne and water surrounded the pristine white plates. A different bouquet of fresh flowers adorned each table, and underneath were little cards with names written on them. There was one place holder with his own name on it, for when he used to come without his family. They kept them in a little cupboard in the back, carefully stacked and just waiting to be taken out.

 

            "Morning, Mr Caster," He greeted the man at the front and squeezed Niall's hand. This was bloody terrifying, being back into his old town and having to pick up old habits in order to just fit it and not be the odd one out. "I supposed mother is at her table?" He asked and the old man, whom had worked there for forty years, and who knew Louis from diapers, nodded as they shook hands. "Absolutely, Louis. It's lovely to see you again. We've missed you around here," He smiled and Louis' heart warmed up a little bit.

 

            "It's good to see you too. How's the wife doing? I bet her garden is still as beautiful as ever," He hummed and the man's smile faltered a little bit.

 

            "She's been doing alright, but she was diagnosed with Alzheimer three years ago. It's a slow slope, and it's scary to see her slipping away. But she still makes the best roast. You should come over for dinner one night," He patted Louis' hand, that he was still holding, and Louis nodded. "Of course. I would love to see her. We'll make time to come and see you I promise," He assured and they bid each other goodbye before Louis tugged Niall toward the back terrace, which overlooked a beautiful garden.

 

            "Hey mum," He announced as they arrived, and Jay looked up from her menu -why did she even bother to keep reading it? She could recite it in her sleep - to sile brightly at the two boys. "Oh lovely! I'm glad you made it. Come give me a kiss, both of you," She prompted and Louis leaned down to kiss her cheeks, Niall doing the same before they sat down in front of her.

 

            "Lottie's on her way over. I figured we should have a small brunch, quiet. I left Fizzy in charge of the kids," She explained and shut her menu, leaning forward on her elbows and resting her chin on her hands. "How was the drive down? Not too tired? Which one of you drove?" She asked as Louis reached out for his water, taking a long gulp.

 

            "I drove, while he re-enacted the sleeping beauty," Niall smiled brightly. "Must i say you look absolutely stunning, Mrs Tomlinson. You always do, don't get me wrong. But today you are practically shining," He added, his foot reaching under the table to knock against Louis'.

 

            "He's a kiss-ass," Louis rolled his eyes and patted the boy's arm that was laid down beside him on the table. "She already loves you, babe. No need to butter it up."

 

            "Excuse you, I am not buttering anything up. Have you seen her? Looked at her? Not everyone got to see that beauty every single day for eighteen years. Some of us have been depraved," Niall replied, putting up an affronted look. "Never call me a kiss-ass."

 

            Louis laughed softly and squeezed Niall's forearm. "Okay, alright. I'll let it slip," He sighed in defeat and looked over at his mother who was uncharacteristically quiet, looking over their exchange with a raised pristine eyebrow.

 

            "What?" He asked and mirrored her facial expression, silently throwing prayers to God, hoping they were good enough to fool his parents. Niall followed Louis' lead and looked over a Jay, waiting for her to say something, anything.

 

            "How long has this been going on?" She asked and Louis cheered inside, but managed to school his expression into one of confusion as he replied, "What do you mean?"

 

            "Oh don't be daft, Louis. You two! And why does Karen Payne know of all of this before me? Do you not trust me?" She pouted dramatically and Louis actually let out a small chuckle.

 

            "Come on, mum. Has nothing to do with that. I just asked Liam if I could bring someone, and he must have told his mother. I promise we were going to tell you. We just didn't want to make a big deal out of it, did we love?" He turned to Niall and they share a look of mischief before Niall answers. "Louis' right, Mrs Tomlinson. We just didn't want it to be a big deal. We're just happy as it is," He said sweetly. "You are the first person we are confirming things to," He added and Louis nodded energetically at that. Niall's a bloody genius, making her feel extra special.

 

            "Alright then. I just wish I could have known earlier. Wouldn't have looked like a fool in front of the other girls," She sighed and Louis can't help but feel it's all a bit stupid, how much importance she gives to the opinion of these women.

 

            "I'm sorry, truly," He indulges. "You can tell them you knew all along, but knew we wanted to keep quiet? So that's why you reacted that way," he proposed, and just as she is about to reply, an excited grin lighting up her face, Lottie decides to walk through the door, cutting the conversation short as they all greeted each other and ordered their meals.

 

            Louis is proper starving, and they make small chat through the courses, exchanging amused looks with Niall every now and then, both impressed at how well they're actually pulling this off.

 

            They part ways outside the restaurant, Louis having insisted on paying, promising to meet up at the house in a little bit. Louis took Niall's keys from his hands, declaring he'd driven enough already and Louis knew these streets better than the irish boy.

 

            "That was fun," Niall declared once they were sat in the car, Jay and Lottie's Mercedes disappearing down the street and around the corner. "It was. It won't be that bad now will it?" Louis hummed in agreement. He revved the engine and pulled out of the lot, making his way back to his childhood house, passing little comments along the way - 'that's where we used to hang out at in the summers', 'Liam broke his arm falling off that swing’. Before he knows it, he's driving down the old road where his parents' house sits, next door from the Payne’s and the Styles'.

 

            The house he grew up in was a bit over the top. And by a bit, he means a lot. Sitting on a fifty thousand square feet property, the house was lost amidst mature trees that offered shade and perfect cover-ups. There was a short driveway from the street to the house, a path leading to the garage behind the house, and a round-about that took you to the front door and back to the driveway. In the middle of that roundabout used to stand a tall weeping willow, but it had gotten sick when Louis was sixteen and he'd shed a few tears as the men came to cut it down. His parents had it replaced with what was probably the tackiest and ugliest fountain Louis had ever seen.

 

            The house itself was simple in its looks, white with black shutters, in a way of a colonial home with a wrap-around porch, and a balcony on the second floor. The front door was made of heavy chestnut wood, dyed a deep black to fit with the shutters.

 

            Louis came to a stop in front of the steps that led to the front door and turned the engine off, looking at the house for a split second before getting out of the car and going to fetch his bags from the back seat and the trunk. He did his best to ignore the low whistle Niall let out as he got out and followed Louis' lead.

 

            Pushing past the heavy door, Louis led Niall straight up the double staircase and to the second floor. The corridor was spreading on both sides, and Louis took a right at the top of the stairs, going to the very last door on the left. "I'll give you a grand tour soon," He promised before pushing open the door and taking a deep breath. His room looked exactly how he had left it the last time he'd been here.

 

            The room was bathing in late morning light, the sun coming in through the multiple windows that adorned Louis' walls. The walls were painted a light yellow, enough to brighten the room and yet not make it unbearably bright at night. He'd painted it last when he was thirteen, and he was proud of his own taste. Pinned on the walls were several different photographs, and hung beside his wardrobe door was a cork board filled to the brim with polaroid pictures and different artefacts he had collected over the years, things that held meaning for him at the time. Probably still did.

 

            There was a desk pressed against the wall opposite the door, and on it were a few picture frames along with a vase of fake flowers, the colour of their petals fading from the constant exposition to the sun. It was a dark rich mahogany colour, and Louis knew that if he were to run his fingers under it, he'd find the indent of his and Harry's names, carved into the wood when they were just twelve years old.

 

            His bed was pressed against the West wall, a king sized four poster bed with a dark navy comforter and a collection of pillows that had been carefully placed at the head of the bed. The whole room exhaled an air of sophistication, and Louis realized it didn't feel like home anymore. It was gorgeous, and the place was stunning. He could appreciate the effort his younger self had put into it, into making it his own space while still being in accordance with the rest of the mansion, but it would probably never feel like home. _'If it ever did, at all,'_ he thought and dropped his bags by the foot of the bed.

 

            He turned back to see Niall gaping at the room, eyes running over everything like he was trying to memorize the whole place. "You know we'll be spending a lot of time in here. You can relax. I told you they're loaded," He sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "Now, my dad's gone for a couple more days so we have time to make ourselves comfortable before he gets back," He said as he walked over to the cork board, eyes scanning the different things pinned on it until his eyes landed on a picture of himself, Liam and Harry back in their first year of UNI.

 

            "Curly hair is Harry, buzz cut is Liam," he informed as he gave the picture over to Niall. He let he boy analyse the picture while he went to the ensuite bathroom, hoping to splash some water on his face to freshen up a little before they were to go face the rest of the family. He spent a few minutes in the bathroom before making his way back. "Alright, we ought to get downstairs. I'll give you a quick tour of the upstairs first," he clapped his hands and plucked the picture from Niall's hands.

 

            "They look nice. Can see why you fell for that bloke," Niall said conversationally as they made their way down the hallway, Louis pointing out the different bedrooms and whom they belonged to, as well as his father's study. On the floor of the corridor was a thick, rich red carpet that ran all the way down from one end to the other, thin lines of hardwood floor visible at the edge of the intricate designs. The walls were covered in paintings of the family, of every member on their own, with small plaques with their names right beside each of their respective bedrooms. "This is my parents' room, and the youngest twins are in the room across from them," He hummed and ran his pointer finger over the engraved names of Doris and Ernest.

 

            Once back on the main floor Louis took Niall through the library and the office, then the large living room. Each room was filled with heavy wooden furniture, painted in dark colours but filled with light from the multiple windows.

 

            The kitchen was simply beautiful, and Louis always envied it. It was filled with white cabinets and stainless steel over and fridge. There was a gas stove in one of the corners and a pizza oven right beside it. The farm sink was resting in the centre of the island and a few cookbooks had been placed there artistically. The kitchen had large sliding doors that let off on the back porch and overlooked the pool, as well as the rest of the property, surround with twelve feet tall cedars to keep neighbours from peaking in.

 

            They're just about done going through the house when the kids come bounding in the kitchen, surrounding Louis instantly and smothering him in hugs before they moved on to hug Niall as well. "Well, we're happy to see you too," Louis hummed and picked Ernest up, settling the growing boy on his hips. "Aren't you getting big! What's this? I don't like it! I want you to stay a teeny tiny baby always," He teased and bopped his nose. "Stop growing or soon you'll be as tall as me," he felt his heart swell at the giggles he got out of the toddler.

 

            They spent a few hours in the living room and kitchen, alternating between them, spending time with the young ones and mostly relaxing as much as they could until Louis couldn't take it anymore.

 

            "We're gonna go upstairs for a nap, we'll see you guys later," He stifled a yawn and Fizzy straightened up at that.

 

            "Oh I meant to tell you. Dinner is at the Styles tonight. Anne's been looking forward to seeing you again, wouldn't stop babbling about it and invited us the second she heard you were coming to the wedding," She added with a pointed look and it took everything he had not to groan because - really? He was not in the mood to face the entire Styles clan.

 

            "Sounds good to me. We'll be ready in time," He promised instead of bursting out into protests and making up excuses not to have to cross the lawn over to his ex's family home.

 

            He trudged upstairs, following after Niall who just couldn't wait to try Louis' bed - 'It looks like a bed you'd find in a castle; it has to be a whole lot more comfortable than the shitty ones we got in London!' - and closed the door behind, locking it as well. He never used to lock it, until Lottie walked in on Harry going down on Louis (he was under the covers, thankfully). From that fateful day on, he always locked his door whenever he was in there for sleep or with someone else.

 

            He stripped down to his briefs, Niall doing the same and climbing into the bed. Louis ruffled through his bag and pulled out his favourite little toiletry bag, brandishing it victoriously and dragging a laugh out of Niall.

 

            "No fucking way, I thought you left it back home!" The blonde grinned eagerly and watched as Louis sat on the bed with his legs crossed, getting to work on what he knew how to do best. He made quick work of rolling the herbs in a sleek joint and closed the bag, chucking it on the floor and producing a lighter from the bedside table.

 

            "God knows I'm gonna need this, this week," He snorted and lit the end, taking a long drag until the tip was a bright cherry. He pulled an ashtray from the short table and settled it between Niall and himself, flicking off the ash and passing it along.

 

            "It's gonna be all good," Niall promised as he took his turn. "I'm not gonna leave you alone in this mess. That's what best friends are for, right?" He assured and Louis was so, so thankful for finding Niall.

 

            They'd landed each other in a clear time of need, and even though they never asked the other what truly had brought them out to London, mainly because they didn't want questions to be asked about their own story, it was obvious they needed someone. They latched onto the other like a lifesaver and Louis was truly grateful he had found Niall and still had him in his life.

 

            Not long after the thin joint was done for, Louis set the ashtray aside and climbed under the covers, curling up around a pillow and allowing his mind to run wild, in hopes it'd tire him enough to fall asleep for a few hours, reassured and comforted by the presence of Niall's warm body beside him. A constant reminder that he was gonna be alright.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm actually pretty proud of myself for putting up yet another chapter   
> I also would very much need a beta? so like if anyone's interested in doing it just send me a message here or on tumblr (softylouis) and like we can work something out cause I suck at revising myself and sometimes I forget I put something in, and go a complete other direction and I'd like for this one to make sense lmao   
> so yeah just let me know  
> as always comments and kudos are very much appreciated  
> I made a spotify playlist for myself to listen to while I write so if you wanna listen to it, my username is bélange and the playlist is 'strawberries taste how lips do'

            Getting ready for dinner took them the best of three hours. Mostly because after the alarm rang from Louis' phone, they puttered around the room, remaining in bed for about an hour before Louis made his way to the bathroom to shower. Next up is Niall, and Louis uses the time to put their clothes away in the wardrobe while the blonde is scrubbing off the filth of the day, from having been in the car all morning and then sweating under the heavy sun at lunch.

 

            He picks out two outfits, one for himself and one for Niall. Dinner at the Styles' home meant something fancy but not too much. He got a pair of black pants for himself with a light cream shirt, a pair of black matte oxford shoes. Niall got the honour of wearing the beige pants with a crisp white shirt, shoes identical to Louis', except a light tan colour.

 

            He tried not to overthink too much because if he did he knew he'd wind up having a panic attack, and who needs to deal with one of those when you're about to see the ex-love of your life for the first time in five years? Definitely not Louis. Nope. He needed to look put together and _fine_ and like he has his life under control, which he does. Most of the time.

 

            When Niall came out of the bathroom, going on and on about all the fancy settings of the shower ("Who has eight shower heads?! With all different settings?! That's just mental!") and swearing he'd have a bath by the end of their stay ("That bath is bigger than my entire bathroom and kitchen, Louis."), he informed the other man about their clothing arrangements, earning a thumbs up.  

 

            Louis'd been fiddling with his hair for the best of half an hour before Niall swatted his hands away and fixed it in classic Louis fashion, fringe swept to the side with some texture in it. "Thank you. I just... Yeah," He cleared his throat and Niall beamed at him. "Don't worry about that. I'm gonna stick by your side the whole night anyway," He promised and Louis feels just that little bit better.

 

            They got dressed fifteen minutes before they were supposed to leave, Lottie knocking on the door loudly and prompting them to get ready fast - with a few sly comments about how it's no time for blowjobs, making Louis turn bright red and Niall cackle loudly, telling her they'd be quick.

 

            "Don't fucking say that!" Louis hissed and pinched his shoulder. "Don't give her ammunitions to tease us the whole week!" Niall couldn't help but continue laughing until it died down, five minutes later. "Come on Louis. Admit it's funny. Get your head out of yer ass, that's my spot," He winked and Louis gasped, wanting to act affronted but there was definitely a smile creeping up on his lips until it had taken over his entire face, and they were both giggling like school kids.

 

* * *

 

            When they made it down to the main floor, where everyone else was finishing getting ready ("Mum did you see my red shoes? The ones with the bow!" or "Daisy give me my lip-gloss back! MUM!"), Louis realized he really did miss home, and the energy that came with it. He also knew that he would be so bloody thankful to return to the peace and quiet - as peaceful and quiet as it could be while living above a pub - of his flat. He definitely would never move back in with his parents permanently, no matter how much he missed having his sisters and brother around all the time, and his mum too. His father, well. They had a strange relationship. Kind of strained, and Louis did genuinely try to make it better when he was younger, played footie and tried to appease his father, whom seemed more concerned about strangers' opinions on the family than its members' well-being. Appearances were absolutely everything to his father and Louis could understand, but that didn't mean he approved. Not when it put the mental health of his siblings in jeopardy.

 

            He was shaken out of his thoughts by Niall squeezing his arm and pushing him to the front door, where his mother was waiting on them so she could close the door. He grinned at her brightly and his and Niall's hands met effortlessly between them, fingers lacing together and swinging lightly as they took the two hundred and thirteen steps (Yes, Louis had actually counted when he was younger) that separated their front door from the Styles'.

 

            "They're really nice people," Louis said quietly as he and Niall walked a few paces behind the rest of the family. "Anne, the mother, she's my mum's best friend. Like, I've known her - and Karen, Liam's mum - for me entire life. She's like a second mum," He explained and kicked a few pebbles.

 

            "Des is pretty relaxed, but since my dad is away on business and not here to _terrorize_ you, I feel like he's gonna take that upon himself and like. Really see if you're good enough, but don't worry. He's a big teddy bear inside, wouldn't hurt a fly. Unless it broke the law," he snorted and Niall cackled at that.

 

            "Okay, and don't you think they might not like me because you used to date their son? Like. It might seem like I stole you from him, which I didn't but. You know, out of solidarity for their son?" the blonde inquired as they made their way up the Styles driveway.

 

            "Nah I don't think they'd be that bitter. I think they understand that whatever happened was between Harry and I. And that I'm still me? Whatever happened doesn't change who I am as a person. Who I was all those years ago. I hope so, anyway," he shrugged and squeezed their hands as they walked up the porch, reaching the top just as Anne opened the door, greeting everyone happily.

 

            Louis watched as every single member of his family hugged Anne on their way in, his mum lasting a little longer, and before he knew it, his turn had come. He was forced to let go of Niall's hand as she pulled him in a tight hug, and he buried his face into her neck gently, hugging her back just as tightly. After a few moments she pulled away slightly to look at his face, cupping his cheeks and planting a sound kiss on his forehead.

 

            "It's so good to see you love. We've all missed you around here. You need to visit more," She tutted and squeezed his shoulders before turning to Niall, who was smiling brightly beside Louis. "Hi, my name's Niall. Louis' boyfriend," He introduced himself and held out his hand, only to get pulled into a tight hug by the woman. His eyes were wide, startled, and Louis laughed softly. "It's lovely to meet you, dear. I hope you're taking good care of him and that he's not too much trouble," She finally pulled away and straightened her beautiful red dress. "God knows Louis can be quite the handful," She smirked and Niall nodded solemnly. "Do you have all night to talk about that? Because he's something else," he added and Anne laughed soundly, linking her arm with Niall's and leading him inside.

 

            Louis could hear them chattering away already, his name popping up a few times as he followed behind them and shut the door softly. He took in the home, feeling like he was a little kid again, coming through the front door and running all over the place in hopes of finding Harry hidden somewhere, Liam in tow. The house was very similar to his parents', with dark rich woods and lots of intricate detailing carved into the wall mouldings. The decoration looked just as posh as he remembered, gold accents scattered here and there, catching the light and reflecting it so beautifully and giving an air of fanciness Louis used to associate with home.

 

            "Long time, no see," He heard a deep voice from behind and he froze, taking a deep breath before turning on his heels to face the voice. "Sorry, you know what running a business is like," He smirked and stepped closer, unsure if they were going to shake hands or hug.

 

            It apparently was the latter, as he was suddenly engulfed in strong arms, face pressed against a soft chest that smelled like a Chanel perfume. "Good to have you home, son," Des smiled and ruffled Louis' hair playfully before letting him go. "Now, what's this I hear about you having a boyfriend? I'm going to say it right now, no one is ever going to be better for you than my son. But I can't exactly force you two together. So he better be damn amazing."

 

            Louis somehow managed to keep a straight face as Des spoke, and nodded gently. "He's pretty great yeah. Makes me really happy. Anne seems to like him," He added and glanced down the hall toward the kitchen where everyone else was gathered. "Shall we?" He tipped his head in the direction of the voices. Des led the way, and Louis knew they'd wind up talking more after dinner, when they'd always split up, the women going to either the patio or the living room, glasses of wine and tea, while the men met in the study to drink whatever bottle of brandy, or bourbon, or whisky that was the new obsession of the moment, more often than not with a cigar between their lips. It seemed so cliché - so stupidly stereotypical, but it was all so familiar and comforting and just a nice habit. A certainty that some things would just never change no matter what went on.

 

            In the kitchen, Anne and Jay were standing with Niall and Lottie, talking in hushed voice and giggling like school girls. He should have expected it, for his mum and sister to rope Niall into telling them everything they didn't already know about Louis. Both sets of twins were sat at the kitchen table, playing some silly game Daisy had brought along to distract them. Wine was flowing already, glasses filled to the brim and little food bites placed beautifully into gold adorned plates on the counter.

 

            The whole room - and house - was basking in the comforting smell of the roast currently sitting in the oven, waiting to feed the hungry mouths. It was a heavy smell, not one that you would think of having in the middle of august, but it most definitely worked at making Louis feel at home.

 

            "If that is not a blast from the past," Louis heard a loud voice exclaim behind him and turned around, a bright smile on his face as Gemma strode forward and came to a stop right in front of him, scanning his features looking for something - anything. Louis kept his eyes on her, never wavering, his only giveaway being the shiver that ran down his spine as he simply felt another presence behind her.

 

            "You've not changed a bit. Still look about 22 years old," Louis winked and she let out a throaty laugh, pulling him in for a hug and it was so obvious that there was something underlying. Something neither of them wanted to voice, but knew of. He needed to be on his best behaviour, and she'd make sure of it.

 

            When she let go of him, stepping back with a pointed look, Louis allowed himself to look past her and straight into the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. The most beautiful eyes, period.

 

            Harry had changed, but at the same time he was so blatantly _Harry,_ still, that it made Louis' heart hurt just a little bit more. The other man's hair was short - while it used to go past his shoulders when Louis had seen him last, now they were in some sort of military cut, short on the sides (near buzz-cut) and long on the top, but not enough to tie it up in a bun like he used to.

 

            His face was more defined as well, his jawline and cheekbones so sharp they could cut glass, and the faintest hint of stubble on his cheeks and chin, making Louis' knees a wee-bit weaker.

 

            His body has stayed relatively the same, and if the past is anything to go by, he's probably hard as stone under that shirt from all the hours of training he is adamant on doing. He'd even tried to get Louis on board with him, but that lasted maybe three weeks - and yeah, Louis was proud of himself for lasting that long - until Louis was refusing to get out of bed in the mornings and preferred to stay in and watch TV with a bag of crisps rather than go sweat his life at a crappy - okay, actually really fucking fancy - university gym.

 

            "Hi," Louis croaked and coughed lightly to clear his throat, painfully aware of everyone's eyes on them, the rest of the conversations having died down. He held his hand out for Harry to shake, willing his hand to stop trembling ever so slightly.

 

            Harry glance down at the hand, and then back up at Louis and it took three excruciating seconds where Louis was pretty certain life on earth had ended, a meteor had crashed the earth and wiped away all form of life except for the two of them. The earth was shaking beneath his feet and his ears were ringing so, so loudly, he nearly missed Harry's quiet, "Hi," before he felt a jolt of electricity as their hands touched, shaking them sharply until Harry pulled away as quickly as he'd reached out, like he was terrified of touching Louis for longer than necessary, which was completely understandable.

 

            Louis was shaken out of his reverie by Niall's comforting hand on his lower back, and took the glass of wine he was offered by the Irish. He took a couple of sips, leaning into his friend's side as he waited for the alcohol to kick into his blood and start rushing through. He was trying his best to listen to the conversation happening - Niall was downright charming the pants off Des, and that was a pleasant surprise.

 

            It was stupid, really, but he kept his eyes fixated on Harry, watching his every move even when he was behind Louis. He could always tell where he was, where he was going, what he was thinking before Harry himself knew. He felt a wave of fondness rush through him as he watched the man sit at the kitchen table, Doris climbing on his lap straight away. He was brushing her hair back gently, smiling at whatever nonsense she was babbling about and encouraging it, making sounds of appreciation at the right moments in her stories which he'd probably heard a million times already.          

 

            "I'll just," The brunette finally said and reached into Niall's pants' pocket (he had the bigger pockets out of the two) to pull out his pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He'd gotten a new pack to day before they left, allowing himself only one pack for the whole entire week, meaning he had to make each of them count. Truth be told he was shit at keeping promises, especially those he made to himself and that no one was aware of. It was always easier breaking those, and by the way the night had started, he'd need a few just to get through this. Although, later they'd be having cigars in Des' study.

 

            He excused himself from the conversation, walking toward the back door, dropping his now-empty glass of wine on the counter before pushing the glass door open and sliding outside into the warm air of the early night. He found his way to the swinging chair, off to the left of the back porch, slightly hidden from the door.

 

            Curling up on the wood fixture, he made sure to have an ashtray beside him on the armrest before lighting his cigarette, taking a long drag before exhaling the smoke toward the sky with a long, drawn out sigh. He made it through half of the cigarette before he heard the door open, and Gemma came to sit beside him, looking up at the tree line, probably analysing the stars and constellations appearing slowly but surely.

 

            "How long have you been back here? In Donny?" She asked quietly, almost like she wanted to make conversation. Louis knew she had specific questions to ask, but decide to indulge her in pretending this was just catching up.

 

            "Got here before lunch, had it with mum, and then went home for a nap," Louis shrugged and took a hit off the cigarette, flicking the ashes off into the tray and blowing his smoke away from her. If he knew one thing, it was that no one ever appreciated to have smoke blown to their faces, regardless if they were smokers themselves. He himself enforced the rule of no smoking right outside the pub, nor inside, instead forcing people to go at least ten feet away from the entrance so to not create a cloud of smoke, forcing non-smoking patrons to walk through second-hand smoke and risk developing lung cancer. He followed said-rule himself, which made it easier for the clientele to follow his lead. They had their usual clique of smokers on weekends mostly, whom Louis would hang out with and they'd all go out for a smoke together a couple times through the night.

 

            "Sounds nice. Didn't know you were bringing a date. He's nice," She hummed and he looked to the side at her, raising an eyebrow.

 

            "Have you two talked in the five minutes I was gone?" He chuckled and she nodded slowly. "We did, have a little chat. Mentioned you went for a smoke. Also that you only ever have one if you're either bothered by something, or just socially," she added.

 

            "Well, he's known for spilling all secrets isn't he?" He smirked and took another hit, eyes going back to the expanse of the large backyard, gliding over the pool, which was surrounded by a large stone trail.

 

            "He's not exactly spilling secrets, Tommo. Also, secrets aren't a thing, here. At least they didn't use to be," and Louis could hear the point in her voice, the little daggers pointed at him, pressing into him just not enough to make a nick in the skin.

 

            "Well. Secrets are good, sometimes, I think. Healthy even. It's a good thing to not have your whole self out there for everyone to dissect and analyse. Keep some things private," He bit his bottom lip. "And you know I'd tell you anything that's of importance. Right? I'm keeping some stuff but... The _really_ important stuff, I'd tell you."

 

            Gemma kept silent for a little bit, until Louis was done with his cigarette and put it out in the ashtray beside him. He gripped the lighter, flicking the flame on and off a couple of times, waiting for her to speak up.

 

            "You two need to talk. I don't know how, or when, but... We could cut the tension in there with a bloody knife," she finally settled on saying and Louis shrugged his shoulders lightly.

 

            "I can't make any promises, Gem. Truth be told I'm only here because I promised Liam I'd be at his wedding, years ago. And I know I shouldn't be sat on your parents' porch right this moment, I should be back at home and not imposing myself into your family again, but this is for my mum too, and my siblings and everyone else. So yeah, I know I should have stayed away. I wanted to. But I'm doing this for them," He took a deep breath and looked over at her. "I hope one day you can just ... I don't even know. Maybe hate me a little less? I know I'd hate the guy who would leave one of my sisters, but I'm still me. And you're still one of my best friends and I was a shit friend," he let out a humourless laugh. "I also have no right to ask you to hate me less, but I love you. Always will," He offered a small smile, hopeful.

 

            Gemma looked at him, scanning his face thoroughly for a few lingering moments before her face crumbled and she pulled him in for a tight hug. "You reek of cigarette smell. How does Niall find you remotely attractive? Beyond me," She mumbled and Louis giggled lightly, hugging her back just as tightly.

 

            They remained in place for a little bit before heading back inside, hearing the rumble of the people, signalling the food was getting served. Inside, Louis found Niall and picked up a plate to go around the kitchen and fill it up with mashed potatoes, and an assortments of cooked vegetables, as well as two perfectly cooked slices of roast with a bit of gravy. He snatched them seats by the end of the table, beside Anne and Des, facing Jay and Lottie.

 

* * *

 

            Dinner went by fairly easy, the children at one end, babbling about whatever non sense crossed their minds, making up stories with their food and drinking their apple juice like it was the last time they'd have any in their whole entire lives.

 

            Louis and Niall found themselves talking with Des about - surprise - alcohol, and the two got on like a house on fire over their love of strong alcohols, Des making promises of showing him what was supposed to be the best whisky in the world later, after dinner. Niall's hand was resting on Louis' thigh for most of the night, a calming touch as Louis sipped his wine, eyes flickering around the table. Gemma was sat beside Lottie, and beside her was Harry, whose entire attention was on the youngest pair of twins. Acting like he was their au pair or something. Fizzy was sat right beside Niall, on his right, and the other set of twins sat at the end with the youngest and Harry.

 

            Once everyone was done with their meal, but still sitting down, Louis got to his feet and started gathering the plates quietly, offering warm smiles as people thanked him before returning to their conversations. He brought everything back out to the kitchen and set most of the plates in the dishwasher, adding the cutlery. Next step were the leftovers, which he carefully set in Tupperware containers and placed in the fridge.

 

            He filled the sink with hot water and brought all the dirty cauldrons and pans and whatnot to one side of the sink, spreading a towel on the other side. He got started on washing the dishes, listening to the dull hum of the exchanges in the other room. He loved all of them, he truly did. But he also found it quite... overbearing, to be in a room filled with such loud chatter and no way of tuning it out. So doing the dishes was always his little time off before desert, and it's like everyone knew it.

 

            He wanted to be surprised, when he felt someone come up beside him and pick a fresh dish towel to dry off the cleaned kitchenware, but he truly wasn't. he barely even acknowledged it, just continued to wash the dishes and rinsing them off, setting them down on the towel for Harry to put away. They worked in silence, Louis lost in thought.

 

            He startled a little when Jay came bounding into the room, laughing loudly still at whatever someone had said. "Louis, love, can you get plates for desert? Harry, you can get started on making the teas. I'll get the cake out," she prompted and he felt so thankful that she didn't comment on them working together, being together in the same room at the same time. Because Louis wouldn't be able to explain it even if his life depended on it.

 

            Of course, he'd move on. He was definitely not still hung up on this boy he hadn't seen in half a decade. They had their own separate lives and Louis was with Niall now, right? He was with the blonde and they were happy (as far as their families were concerned, they'd just come up with a breakup story in a couple of weeks or before Louis' mum came to visit again). He had his own thing going on, and Harry probably did as well. That didn't change the fact that it was _Harry_ and if that didn't make him absolutely extraordinaire in Louis' eyes, then nothing ever deserved to be.

 

            They made it through desert in the same fashion as they had with dinner, but this time once all the teas were finished, Des got to his feet and walked out of the room, prompting Louis and Harry to their feet, hot on his heels. Niall looked slightly confused as Louis pulled him along, lacing their fingers together and squeezing his hand tightly.

 

* * *

 

            The study was a beautiful room, with large dark mahogany bookcases going all the way up to the ceiling, which was just as dark. In the middle of the room were two large couches, designed in an antique fashion, and behind one of them was a little trolley with crystal bottles filled with dark liquor. Louis tugged Niall to sit down in the one facing the trolley, sitting closely together as Des poured them each a glass of whisky.

 

            Harry went to one of the bookcases, pulling out a small wooden box, and brought it over to Niall and Louis with a tight smile, and good manners be cursed. Louis picked a cigar from the box, uttering a small "thank you," Niall imitating him.

 

            "My father, as well as Liam's and Louis' grandfathers started this praxis, years and years ago," Des explained mostly to Niall as he brought the glasses over to everyone, before sitting down and getting his own cigar. "They used to come in here, and have their nightly whisky and cigar, discussing business. Myself, Mark and Geoff used to sit at their feet and play with our toys, until we moved on to sitting on the couches with them, joining in on the conversations," He smiled and snipped the end of his cigar before passing the cutter to Harry, who repeated the action, on to Niall and then Louis. He then lit the end of it, Louis using his own lighter for his and Niall's. "Before we knew it, we were through law school and taking over our fathers' firms, and had our own sons sat at our feet, playing with their toys," Des hummed thoughtfully.

 

            "Sounds like a really great tradition, if you ask me. All I remember from my childhood was my dad yelling at me to get him a beer," Niall chuckled, making Des laugh. "Well, you can join in on this one. Welcome to the family. Cheers," He raised his glass and all three boys mimicked, and Harry's ironically muttered 'cheers' was not lost on him.

 

            "So, talking about business, how is it going?" Louis inquired and settled more comfortably, puffing on the cigar lightly.

 

            "Oh you know, the usual. We had a big case this year, and this one actually won the jury over," Des revealed and clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder. "He's a real Styles, has the charms of his mother and the brains of his dad. Perfect blend for a criminal attorney."

 

            "I didn't do it all alone. Liam helped a lot. We spent days just bent over, going over the books over and over again to find the loopholes," Harry shrugged. "It was a great opportunity for us to learn."

 

            "Well, I for one am glad you two are out of school and running on your own. We definitely needed a refresh on the brand, and that Malik kid just doesn't do it for me," Des groaned. "He's very entitled. I don't care who his father is, this is my firm and you need to prove your worth like you and Liam did," he scoffed.

 

            "Malik kid?" Louis questioned, leaning forward a little, Niall's hand settling on his lower back and rubbing gentle circles there. "Who is he? He's not... Oh god, tell me it's not that guy?" He gasped, looking over at Harry who was nodding slowly, eyes never meeting Louis' directly. "Who in the world thought it was a good idea to hire that dick?" He raised an eyebrow.

 

            "Me, actually," Harry replied and Louis' jaw dropped, looking at Harry like he'd grown a second head.

 

            "Are you mental? That guy was an ass. From day one, made it his personal mission to make your life in particular, hell. Did the apocalypse happen?" He asked pointedly.

 

            "Something like that. Turns out he's an okay guy. We got on pretty well, once we started talking. He's just competitive in school, as were we. He was the best in his school and needed to get the best grades in UNI too. He's literally just like us. You can actually talk to him this week, considering he'll be at Liam's wedding," Harry said in a sharp voice, but still slow, so slow and syrupy and enveloping and... Wait. Rewind.

 

            "He's gonna be at Liam's wedding? Hell no. Nope. I don't approve of that one bit. I'm gonna have to have a talk with Liam, this doesn't -"

 

            "Babe," Niall interrupted, squeezing Louis' neck where his hand was now resting. "Breathe, okay? In, and out. Slowly. No need to get worked up yeah? You can give the lad a chance," He said soothingly and Louis did as he was told, breathing in and out a few times slowly before nodding. "Fine," He muttered.

 

            Conversation went back to the firm for a little bit before Louis and Niall talked about the pub, the pleasure evident in their voices as they spoke about where they had brought the dingy place, from hard work and sweat. A lot of sweat and late nights and just passion about the whole business, about the patrons and about the managing part, the food, the service, and the employees.

 

            "I plan on buying it out. Well actually, buying the whole building. Been saving up money to do so, I'm almost there," Louis said proudly. "It's kinda like my baby. Like the firm is to you, Des," He explained. "Worked so hard on all of it, we created a whole new food menu, imported beers from all over the world, a bunch from Canada which are pretty great. We instigated Karaoke Thursdays, and open mics on Friday and Saturday. Shows from regulars on Sundays usually," he rattled off. "It's a really good place to go and unwind for a little while. It's exactly what I wanted to make of it, I'm so glad the boss gave me _carte blanche_ to do as I pleased. He said as long as it brings money in, he's all for it. He likes to relax in his villa in Spain more than to be here," He shook his head with a small laugh.

 

            Before long, Jay came over to knock on the door, wanting to wish Des and Harry goodnight as she was going back home to put the youngest twins to bed.

 

            "Oh mum, we can do it. I've missed the little munchkins, I wanna spend as much time with them as I can," He got to his feet and set his now empty glass down on the coffee table in front of him, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants and striding over to pick Ernest out of her arms and settling him against his chest. "We'll put them to bed, you stay here and have a chat with Anne," He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Des, Harry, it was a pleasure. I'm sure we will see each other soon. As in, tomorrow," He chuckled and Niall got up, following Louis' lead and bidding everyone goodnight and fetching a sleeping Doris from Lottie's arms.

 

            After making the rounds, they walked out of the house and heard the door click softly behind as they walked down to the street and toward Louis' family home.

 

* * *

 

            Getting the twins in bed was fairly easy, Louis doing all the boring stuff like getting them in their pyjamas and having them brush their teeth, before Niall jumped in and started telling some sort of crazy tale about princesses and aliens and sea monsters, the twins nodding off just as it got to the good part.

 

            Louis was stripped to his briefs the second that they walked into the bedroom, and he brushed his teeth before clambering on the bed and pulling out his little stash, rolling a thin joint for him and Niall to share before going to sleep.

 

            "That was something," Niall remarked softly as he climbed in bed beside Louis, watching him make quick work of the paper and grass, licking the glue before sealing it shut.

 

            "Tell me about it. That was that," Louis grumbled and put his stuff away in his bedside table before grabbing the lighter and ashtray. "I was actually shocked at how everything went so smoothly. But at the same time it's not like either of us was going to make a scene, right? He wasn't gonna have a strop right then and there, and I wasn't going to get on my feet and beg for forgiveness."

 

            "Can I just stop you right there?" Niall held his hand up before Louis could say anything else. The brunette just nodded and took back the joint from his best friend's fingers.

 

            "You keep acting like... Like it's your fault. Like what you did was so awful and terrible that you deserve to be shunned. But it's not. I don't know exactly what happened, and you can just tell me at some ulterior moment, or never, it's up to you and I'm not prying. But you left because you were unhappy, Louis. You left because being in law school so very clearly didn't make you happy. And so I just think that if he's mad at you, or hates you for doing that, then he's bloody thick because you deserve to be happy. You've only ever done things for others in the five years I've known you." He said slowly, and Louis felt a surge of thankfulness for the other man that was sat in front of him, so much love and adoration and just...

 

            "So yeah. I get that leaving him was shitty, but he's just as shitty, if not worse, for being mad at you for it. Especially all these years later. That's a pretty selfish thing to do, and talk about growing up," He snorted. "You might have a lot to apologize for, but for the love of God, promise me you won't ever apologize for doing right by yourself, alright?"

 

            "I promise," Louis croaked, his eyes watering slightly, and he quickly buried himself into Niall's chest, hugging him tightly. "Fuck I love you so much. You're the bestest best friend ever," He breathed out, and Niall let out a light laugh.

 

            "Alright alright, get off me, monkey. We need to get some sleep because your mother was telling me about all the prep that still needs to be done for the wedding, and boy are we in for a good time," Niall snorted.

 

            "That much uh? I'm not surprised. We're probably gonna have somewhere to go to for brunch, lunch and dinner every single day for different things. I know we're going on a pub crawl on Thursday, so that we have Friday to recover from the hangover before the wedding on Saturday. We'll also have family stuff and friend stuff," He yawned, the mere thought of the week ahead enough to exhaust him to no end.

 

            "Goodnight, then," Niall mumbled and Louis reached out to put the ashtray away and then laid down beneath the blankets. He shuffled a little before settling into place and letting out a small sigh.

 

            "Thanks for being such a good mate. Goodnight," He whispered and he only felt Niall's hand on his forearm, squeezing gently before sleep took them both away.

 

* * *

 

 

            "Morning!" A high pitched voice all but screeched in Louis ear, pulling him out of his lovely dream where he was on a beach somewhere with David Beckham, naked and with an endless amount of footballs at their disposition as well as alcoholic beverages appearing out of thin air whenever they wanted one. He guessed that's what his future consisted of. A man could hope.

 

            "Morning, Doris," Louis mumbled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her small body down beside him as he cuddled her close, closing his eyes again and trying to go back to the beach.

 

            "Mummy said wake up Achu! Brekkie and tea!" The little girl squealed, wriggling in a valiant attempt to get out of his grip. Louis yawned and let her go, listening to the scampering of her feet on the hardwood floor as she made her way down the hall and then the stairs.

 

            Louis laid on his back, staring at the ceiling for a little bit before he rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweats, refusing to put on a shirt as he brushed his teeth in the bathroom. he splashed some water on his face, in hopes of maybe looking a little more alive.

 

            In the hallway on his way to the staircase, he bumped shoulders with Fizzy, both of them just grunting out small greetings before going their separate ways. Neither were morning people, and it was so very obvious they wanted nothing more than to go back to bed.

 

            In the kitchen, Niall was busy flipping pancakes, entertaining Daisy and Phoebe, both girls batting their eyelashes at the blonde, much to Jay's amusement.

 

            "Morning," Louis mumbled to the room and went to get a mug from the cupboard and filling it up with warm tea and a dash of milk.

 

            "So what exactly are we doing today?" He asked his mother once he was halfway done with his tea, feeling like he finally could speak with simply making unintelligible noise.

 

            "Well, Liam's coming to pick you up so that you boys can go and get the suits, and then I think he mentioned something about sampling the cake. But I can't recall if he meant that Sophia would be doing that," she shrugged, barely looking up from her iPad where she was reading the news. "He'll be here in an hour, just enough time for you to get ready," she added with a small smile.

 

            "Alright well. This sounds like it's gonna be a good day," Louis tried to tone down the sarcasm in his voice, only getting a pointing look from his mother and a snort from Niall.

 

 * * *

 

            When Liam pulled up to the house an hour later, Niall and Louis called out goodbyes through the house before slipping out and going down to the car. Louis felt his heart drop in his stomach as he spotted Harry in the front seat, sat as stiff as a stick.

 

            Good day, his ass.


End file.
